Manually controlled coupler positioning device



Oct. 31, 1967 s. w. COPE 3,

MANUALLY CONTROLLED COUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE I Filed Feb. 4, 1966 vvvvvvv F26 Inventor:

Geoffrey W. 00 p e his Attorney United States Patent OflFice 3,349,926 Patented Get. 31, 1967 3,349,926 MANUALLY CONTROLLED C(IUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE Geolfrey W. Cope, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to Symington Wayne Corporation, Salisbury, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed Feb. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 525,087 9 Claims. (Cl. 213-16) This invention relates to positioning devices for railway car couplers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a manually controlled fluid-operated device for swinging an uncoupled horizontally swingable coupler whose position is visible or visually indicated to an operator, whereby the operator can swing the uncoupled coupler to any desired position for coupling or other purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a manually controlled fluid-operated coupler positioning device which not only enables an operator to swing a horizontally swingable coupler to any desired position when the coupler is uncoupled but permits the coupler, when coupled, to swing as necessary with the mated coupler.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a manually controlled fluid-operated coupler positioning device for enabling an operator to swing an uncoupled horizontally swingable coupler to any desired position and stop it at that position sirnplyby releasing the devices control.

A further object of the invention is to provide a manually controlled fluid-operated device for swinging an uncoupled horizontally swingable coupler to any desired position, which is disengaged from the coupler except during such swinging for relieving the device of wear when the coupler swings with a mated coupler.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the coupler positioning device of the present invention applied to a subway type coupler;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 1, with the centersill added;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View similar to FIGURE 1 illustratin g another embodiment of the device; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic view of the control valve of both embodiments.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved manually controlled fluid-operated coupler positioning device of the present invention, while operable from any station at which the position of the coupler is visually indicated by electronic or other suitable means, is primarily designed for a subway or rapid transit car in which the coupler at each end is visible from the adjacent operators cab, for enabling an operator without leaving the cab to swing the coupler, most usually to center the head of the coupler on the track in position to couple with a mating coupler. In keeping, the improved positioning device appropriately may be termed a centering device and has been illustrated applied to a subway type coupler, such as disclosed in Cope Patent No. 3,181,708, issued May 4, 1965.

Like that of the Cope patent, the illustrated coupler 1 has a flat-faced head 2 in which is mounted a pivoted hook 3 for coupling with a mating coupler. The shank 4 of the coupler is connected for vertical swinging or pivoting to a yoke 5 which is slidable longitudinally in a drawbar 6 against the resistance of a suitable cushioning device 7. The drawbar 6, which for purposes of this invention can be considered a rear part or rearward extension of the shank 4, is connected by a vertical pivot pin 8 to an anchor bracket 9 fixed to the centersill 10 of the car, for enabling the coupler and drawbar to swing or pivot horizontally in unison relative to the centersill 10 of the car, for enabling the coupler and drawbar to swing or pivot horizontally in unison relative to the centersill about the axis of the pin. The drawbar 6 is slidably supported at the front on a radial carrier bar 11 fixed to and suspended from the body (not shown) of the can To enable the car to negotiate the sharp turns found in subway trackage, the drawbar 6 will usually be required to swing through an arc or angle of about 54 or about 27 at each side of the cars and centersills longitudinal centerline.

Two embodiments of the improved positioning or centering device are illustrated in the drawings, one in FIG- URES 1, 2 and 4 and the other in FIGURES 3 and 4. The first centering device, designated as 12, comprises a double-acting fluid cylinder unit 13 mounted for horizontal pivoting or swinging at one end on a suitable mounting bracket 14 fixed to the underside of the car body (not shown) and connected at the other for like pivoting or swinging to a side 15 of the drawbar 6, the connection to the drawbar being made forward of the pivot pin 8 but preferably adjacent thereto to minimize the stroke of the unit required to swing the coupler over its full range or arc of horizontal swinging or movement. The illustrated unit 13 has its cylinder 16 mounted on the bracket 14 and its piston rod 17 instanding or projecting inwardly toward and connected to the drawbar 6. The cylinder 16 is fluid-connected at opposite ends or on opposite sides of the units piston 18 by separate, at least in part flexible, fluid lines 19 to a control valve 20 manually controllable by a handle 21 and conveniently located in the overlying or overlooking cab (not shown) at the adjoining end of the car.

The preferred control valve 20 is a three-position, springreturn valve, which, in the neutral or center position of the handle 21, connects both of the fluid lines 19 to atmosphere and, when the handle is swung to either of its two operating positions at opposite sides of the neutral position, connects one of the fluid lines to atmosphere and the other to a suitable fluid pressure source (not shown). Possessing these characteristics, the illustrated valve 20 has a housing 22 in which is slidably or reciprocably mounted a double-headed piston 23 and on an end of which is conveniently mounted the handle 21. Pivoted at its upper end to the housing 22, the handle 21 is pin-and-slot connected intermediate its ends to the projecting end of the rod 24 of the piston 23. Return springs 25 interposed and acting between the heads 26 of the piston 23 and the ends of the housing 22, yieldably resist movement of the piston out of neutral or center position in the housing under force or leverage applied through the handle 21 and return it to that position release of the handle.

The control valve 20 has a single inlet port 27 connected to the pressure source, a pair of spaced outlet ports 28 on opposite sides of the inlet port and each connected to one of the fluid lines 19, and a pair of exhaust ports 29 open to atmosphere and spaced beyond and straddling or embracing the outlet ports. Suitably gasketed, the heads 26 in neutral position bracket, embrace or straddle the inlet port 27 and are disposed therebetween and the outlet ports 28. On shifting of the piston 23 to either of its operating positions, by swinging of the handle 21 to one side or the other of neutral position, the heads 26 still bracket the inlet port 27 and one of them still cuts off that port from one of the outlet ports 28 but the other head lies or is disposed between the other outlet port and the adjoining or related exhaust port 29. Thus, in either operating position, the piston 23 connects one of the outlet ports 28 to the pressure source and the other to the related exhaust port 29.

For the convenience of the operator, the control valve 20 should be mounted in the cab in front of him in a position from which he can see the head 2 of the coupler 1 and the outlet ports 28 should be so connected to the cylinder 16 of the cylinder unit 13 that, on swinging of the handle 21 in either direction to an operating position, the coupler will be swung in the same direction. Once the coupler reaches the desired position, the operator simply releases the handle 21, whereupon both sides of the cylinder 16 will be connected to atmosphere through the fluid lines 19, outlet ports 28 and exhaust ports 29 and, for lack of a positive lateral force in either direction, the coupler 1 will rest or remain in that position until disturbed therefrom by an outside force of sufficient magnitude to overcome the friction in the mounting of the drawbar 6 on the car body.

The cylinder 16 being open at both ends to atmosphere, so long as the handle 21 of the control valve 20 remains in neutral position, the cylinder unit 13 will oppose swinging of the coupler 1, when coupled with a mating coupler, only by the friction engendered between its piston 18 and cylinder 16. The forces generated in the swinging of mated couplers more than sufficing to overcome such friction and the friction in the mounting of the drawbar 6, the centering device 12, while eifective to swing an uncoupled coupler to any desired position within its arc of swing, permits the coupler, when coupled, to swing without appreciable restraint with the mated coupler. In both embodiments of the improved device, the operating fluid most conveniently is compressed air obtained from the cars or trains compressed air system. Using that source and supplied compressed air at around 100 p.s.i., the double-acting, now pneumatic or air-actuated unit 13, with a 4-inch bore and 12-inch stroke, will develop a force of about 1260 lbs., more than adequate to swing an uncoupled coupler of the type illustrated, even with the short moment arm provided to minimize the required stroke.

The positioning or centering device 30 of the second embodiment of FIGURES 3 and 4, preferably uses the same control valve 20 but differs from the first in replacing the single double-acting cylinder unit 13 by a pair of single-acting fluid or pneumatic cylinder units 31 mounted on mounting brackets 32 fixed to the underside of the car body (not shown) at opposite sides of the drawbar 6. Of the pressure-advance, spring-return type, each of the single-acting units 31 is connected on its fluid or air side by a single fluid line 33 to one of the outlet ports 28 of the valve 20. Disposed and acting horizontally, the cylinder units 31 preferably have their cylinders 34 mounted for limited horizontal pivoting on the mounting brackets 32 and limited in that pivoting by slides 35 fixed to the car body. With their cylinders 34, so mounted, the units 31 are laterally aligned in positions to engage the free or inner ends of their instanding or inwardly projecting piston rods 36 with pockets 37 in the confronting or adjoining sides of the drawbar forwardly of the pivot pin 8.

The piston rods 36 of the two or companion units are retractable free or clear of the sides 15 of the drawbar 6 over the range of horizontal swinging of the drawbar and the coupler 1 and are so retracted by the outward force or action of their return springs 38 on their pistons 39 when the control valve is in neutral or normal position and the cylinders 34 are connected therethrough to atmosphere. However, on swinging of the handle 21 to one or the other of the valves operating or fluid or air-applying positions, one of the units 31 will continue to be connected to atmosphere but the other will be supplied with the preferred compressed air or othersuitable actuating fluid and the resultant force on the latters piston 39 will initiate and continue that pistons advance stroke until the operator releases the control valves actuating handle 21.

In the course of that stroke, the free end of the piston or push rod 36 of the then air-actuated or supplied unit 31, will engage the confronting side 15 of the drawbar 6 and, by pushing thereagainst, swing the drawbar to the desired extent toward the opposite side of the car. Although acting alternately or independently, the cylinder units 31 of this second embodiment together are capable of swinging the drawbar 6 and coupler 1, when the latter is uncoupled, to any desired position within the couplers arc of swing. Since at other times disengaged from the coupler, the units 31 do not interfere with swinging of the coupler, when coupled, with the mated coupler and, contrary to the single unit 13 of the first embodiment, are not themselves subjected to wear by such swinging.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved manually controlled coupler positioning or centering device which not only enables a horizontally swingable coupler, when uncoupled, to be swung by fluid pressure to any desired position but does not interfere with swinging of the coupler, when coupled, with the mated coupler. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A fluid-operated device for positioning a railway coupler connected to a car body for horizontal swinging about a vertical pivot, comprising fluid cylinder unit means mounted on said car body and adapted to act therebetween and said coupler forwardly of said pivot for swinging said coupler horizontally in either direction, and manually actuated control valve means fluid-connected to sides of said unit means, said control valve means being selectively actuatable for alternately applying fluid pressure to said sides and enabling said unit means to act on and swing said coupler horizontally to a desired position.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the control valve means normally connects both sides of the unit means to atmosphere and on selective actuation applies fluid pressure to one side while connecting the other side to atmosphere.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the fluid cylinder unit means are pneumatic means and the operating fluid is compressed air.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the pneumatic cylinder unit means is a double-acting cylinder unit pivotally connected at opposite ends to the car body and forwardly of the pivot to the coupler and the unit includes a piston and a cylinder the sides of which at opposite sides of the piston are fluid-connected to the control valve means.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the pneumatic cylinder unit means are a pair of single-acting pneumatic cylinder units mounted on the car body on opposite sides of the coupler, and the sides connected to the control valve means are the air sides of cylinders of the units.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein each unit includes a cylinder fixed to and extending laterally of the car body in lateral alignment with the cylinder of the other unit, and an air-advanced spring-returned piston 'reciprocable horizontally in the cylinder and having a piston rod projecting toward a confronting side of the coupler for engagement therewith in swinging the coupler to the desired position.

7. A device according to claim 3 wherein the control valve means is a three-position valve having a neutral position in which it connects the sides of the unit means to atmosphere, and operating positions at opposite sides of the neutral position in each of which it applies air pressure to one of the sides of the unit means while connecting the other side to atmosphere.

5 6 8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the control on being swung in either direction to an operating posivalve has a handle for manual actuation, and the valve tion causes the coupler to swing in the same direction. includes spring means for returning it to neutral position on release of the handle. N0 efelences Cited- 9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the control 5 valve is mounted in a cab of the car overlooking the ARTHUR LA POINT Pnmary E coup1er, and the handle swings laterally of the car and DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner. 

1. A FLUID-OPERATED DEVICE FOR POSITIONING A RAILWAY COUPLER CONNECTED TO A CAR BODY FOR HORIZONTAL SWINGING ABOUT A VERTICAL PIVOT, COMPRISING FLUID CYLINDER UNIT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CAR BODY AND ADAPTED TO ACT THEREBETWEEN AND SAID COUPLER FORWARDLY OF SAID PIVOT FOR SWINGING SAID COUPLER HORIZONTALLY IN EITHER DIRECTION, AND MANUALLY ACTUATED CONTROL VALVE MEANS FLUID-CON- 